December 2013

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr.

Message from Isabella Chism

We have just come through our Thanksgiving holiday time to be intentional about reflecting on all we have to be thankful for in our lives. Many of us focus on family, friends and health and although most of those overlap with every area of our lives, I've been thinking about you. Indiana Farm Bureau has experienced a lot of personnel change this past year and you have been welcoming and patient with each change. I appreciate that. I believe Meggie is an asset to our team and I enjoy working with her on every aspect of Farm Bureau. You will find her to be a strong leader with a servant’s heart. She is kind, compassionate, passionate and forward thinking. Together, we have been trying to catch up with many things that needed immediate attention. In doing that this newsletter was pushed back twice and I am sorry. I am thankful that it came at a time where there really wasn't a lot of critical information that needed to be shared. Thank you for your patience. We will be on track for regular delivery now. Please let us know what you need or want from this newsletter so we can better serve your needs.

On another note I hope to see most of you at our state convention in Fort Wayne and at our national convention in San Antonio. The national convention scheduling is different than it has been in the past so don't look through your program too quickly. If you are serving as a women's delegate to the Midwest caucus please note that we will have to leave our Indiana breakfast a little early to get to the caucus meeting on time. Fortunately our hotel is very close to the convention center so it won't take us too long. Both of these events are a great opportunity to network and learn about what we all love, farming. We learn how to better communicate our passion for farming when we work together.

Thank you and God bless you for all you do,
Isabella

State Convention Info

The 2013 Indiana Farm Bureau state convention is just around the corner! December 13 and 14 are the dates of the convention at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne this year. Don’t forget about the County President/County Woman Leader meeting at 2:30 p.m. in Harrison A-E with a dinner immediately following the meeting.

Note: The state will reimburse the Thursday night hotel room for CP/CWLs who attend this meeting. If you are a delegate and attend this meeting as a county president or county woman leader, you can be reimbursed for a total of two nights.

The 2014 CWL calendars are ready and will be handed out at convention registration. We hope you will enjoy the new look and feel of the calendars including the compact design making them easier to carry in your purse or tote.

ACE Ambassador Program

The 2014 ACE Ambassador Program application is now available on our website or by contacting your district woman leader or regional manager for a copy. We hope that you will encourage members from your county to apply as these trips have always served as a great experience for those who go. The 2014 trip will be to the state of Michigan. Michigan Farm Bureau is excited about being the host state and is looking forward to sharing their interesting aspects of agriculture with Indiana Farm Bureau members. The deadline for application submission is February 3; winners will be interviewed and announced at Spring Conference in March 2014.

Last year’s couples visited Florida in August. Joni Naylor Doig of Rush County and Matt and Allison Walsh of Newton County have some great information and a wonderful presentation they are willing to share. Need a speaker/presentation for an annual meeting? Maybe your local Lions Club or Rotary Club needs suggestions for a presentation. These couples are excited to share their experience with the ag and non-ag industry alike. Let us know if you would like to hear more about their experiences. The Walshes will also be available to answer questions at state convention by hosting a roundtable discussion on the ACE program and their experience in Florida on Friday, December 13.

MarketBasket – Thanksgiving Survey

Thanks to all the DWLs and county woman leaders who submitted the Thanksgiving price survey in November. Congratulations to Randolph County Woman Leader Claudia Thornburg: You are the randomly selected winner of the $50 gift card!

2013 LIP Forms

Deadline for completed LIP forms to be submitted to the district woman leader is December 14. Your forms must arrive by this date to be included in the recognition at Spring Conference.

AFBF Annual Meeting – San Antonio, Texas

The 2014 American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention in San Antonio, Texas, is just around the corner, January 12-15, 2014, and AFBF is making plans for events that highlight the unique qualities of the Women’s Leadership program. Office hours of the Women’s Leadership headquarters (room 211 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center) will be Saturday, Jan. 11, from 3-5 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 12, from 8-10 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.

The Women’s Leadership Recognition Luncheon is on Sunday, Jan. 12. If you are registered for the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in San Antonio, and would like to attend the luncheon, contact Meggie Foster, mfoster@infarmbureau.org or 317-692-7183, by Friday, December 13. Please send a check made payable to Indiana Farm Bureau.

2014 Spring Conference

Mark your calendars for the Spring Conference, March 7-8, 2014, at the Indianapolis Marriott East. The theme for this year is Slice of Life. We have several speakers already lined up including our keynote presenter, Sarah Fisher, IndyCar driver and race team owner, who will share her message about what it takes to win on the track, in business and in life. In addition, we will have numerous breakout sessions focusing on topics such as education/communication, farm/business and home/health. In addition, we will offer PARP certification. For youth, we will offer a two-day hunter education course, presented by Indiana DNR. We will announce the ACE Ambassador winners, LIP awards, and recognize the scholarship winners at Spring Conference and host our ever-popular silent auction and live auction.

SERVSAFE Food Sanitation Course

Indiana Farm Bureau will host a two-day SERVSAFE Food Sanitation Course on April 3-4, 2014, in Assembly Halls A&B at Indiana Farm Bureau in Indianapolis. If you will be participating in a Taste from Indiana Farms at the Indiana State Fair or serving/preparing food for public consumption at other Farm Bureau events or functions, we encourage you to become SERVSAFE certified.

The class will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, April 3, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 4. There will be a test given to participants at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 4. Participants have up to 2 hours to complete a 90-question, multiple-choice test.

The certification is good for five years from the date of the exam.

Class will be limited to 30 IFB participants. If you are interested in participating in the SERVSAFE course, please contact Bob White at 317-692-7183 or bwhite@infarmbureau.org.

As always, you can contact us with any questions or information you may need.